Tempting Fate
on 05/07/2007 at 06:02 AM
Trailer parks for a big target when viewed from above. Tornado’s zero in on these targets and when they touch down, they always aim for the target. When they get good at hitting their targets, they will go after more stable structures, as we just witnessed.
We were under a tornado watch again last night. I hate tornado’s.
Ok - since this is about FEMA and trailers not about the devestation of KS - here goes. Lived in KY for 8 years - what do a divorce and a tornado in KY have in common?
Government agencies suck by simple virture of their ‘benefactors’ people who have only the desire to tax more money from the working people of America and never, ever solve a problem but look like they are. . . answer to my question below.
. . .someone’s fixin to lose a trailer
Oh boy, let’s just jump on the band wagon and beat up FEMA. The situation is they have no place to stay and they need something quick. What do you want to give them that is quick? A tent, some tree logs to make a lean to?, Trailer’s are readly available and can be put in place quick without to much expense. Is this the best thing to use where tornados or even hurricanes can stike? No.
You are very quick to condemn but you don’t offer them the use of your house. Starting to sound like ALGORE, Katrina was Bush’s fault! Tornados and hurricanes are a NATURAL occurances that happen.
There are trailers in our country that was not even supplied by FEMA and they get hit!
I happen to work for FEMA and we do a LOT of good work that does not get reported by the MSM. Is everything FEMA has done been right, no. You have people in all walks of life that will try to take advantage of their position to make a little (or a lot) extra money.
WHO, Stan_is_IT! Back up and chill. This post was about half tongue-in-cheek humor about trailers and tornados, buddy. You oughta know by now that half the time I’m just pulling folks leg.
The only serious problem I have with the trailers they are providing is the storm cell is still hovering over the Midwest and things haven’t settled down yet and in that flatland, a.k.a. “tornado alley”, it seems to me trailers are the last thing anyone would want to be in.
Why not go in with a workable plan? Put the people up in hotels in surrounding towns or place them with family or firends for a few weeks until the debris can be cleared, some services such as potable drinking water and electricity at least partially fixed before rushing in to repopulate the town.
As for offering the use of my house, you should have seen my house in Huntsville where I was living in the Fall of 2004 after dozens of my family ran away from south Alabama and the Florida panhandle where I am originally from when Hurricane Ivan came blowing through.
I lived through Hurricane Camille in 1969 and I know how hard it is. FEMA wasn’t around then. In fact, nobody was around and we suffered through looters and assholes charging us $10 for a bag of ice and $5 for a gallon of water.
To my way of thinking, FEMA could take a little advice and follow the example of the State of Florida which handles hurricanes quite well because of one thing: preparedness. In areas like Kansas, pulling in hundreds of trailers after the fact is hindsight. It would be much better to set aside safe shelters like National Guard Armories and schools with emergency supplies on hand in storage and have an evacuation and temporary relocation plan ready and waiting.
Tell your bosses at FEMA to get ahead of the power curve for a change. Designate danger zones like the Gulf Coast (hurricanes), the Midwest (tornados) and the California coast (earthquakes). Run disaster scenarios. Map out evacuation routes. Designate temporary shelters and have them stocked and ready. Plan. Plan. Plan.
Keep in mind that I am not a Disaster Relief Expert ... but I play one on a blog.
Skipper and Stan_is_it - you are both wrong - the individual needs to get a clue, buy a vowel and stop this insane, immature and incessent looking to Uncle Sugar to bail them out, help them up and keep ‘em safe. It ain’t going to happen because (as Stan pointed out) tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes and most floods are natural in occurance. And despite what the greenie wiennies might imply - Man can’t do a dang thing about it. Except prepare, have a plan and then follow it.
I’ve lived in tornado alley most of my life (that I’ve lived in the US) - never lost a thing, except a segment of fence and a refrig/freezer full of food. The person I consulted with at the local extension (on the food) made me realize how (the next time) I could actually have saved the (no longer)frozen food. (BBQ it and then refreeze it).
Having lived through upteen tornados passing by so close - well I will never forget the one crossing the Ohio River (parting of the Red Sea, for a visual) that went on north to join forces with a few friends to wipe out Xenia OH - the key is to remain calm. And think.
Nature can strike in an instant and wipe you out and be gone in the next instant. There is no offense, it is pure defense. And wising up and not depending on Uncle Sugar’s reps to come running is the first step.
Taking command of your own life, knowing a few survival tips and keeping around the house a few things that can come in handy in a disaster - all go further than sitting around waiting for the government to come bail you out. And there is a real valuable reason to have a pet - they are the best warning system for weather going.
Sorry Skipper, I guess I get very sensitive when people dump on FEMA. I live in Florida where IVAN came through. Hotels are fine if one is available. Katrina was so wide, most hotels where booked up due to people leaving the area. I’m at a staging area where we have several thousand trailers. Half to be sold and the other half are being stored for future events. We have already sent trailers toward KS.
Wardmama4, I agree with you. It grips me no end with all of the people whinning about what the government ain’t doing. I read in our daily mullet wrapper (sorry paper) about what FEMA ain’t doing. Yet those same people are the ones at the ice/water/MRE lines. I was a kid when Camille came through so I don’t remember much about it.
The thing is FEMA does have a plan but the ACLU and the “lawers who want to help you” keep taking FEMA to court to “extend” the deadlines or change the rules. Administrator Paulison took over with a LOT of baggage. But it takes time to fix. We do run disaster scenarios and map out evacuation routes, but we have to contend with the local government who don’t like or want Big Brother telling them what to do (unless they come with a lot of $$$).
As far as supplies, we do have them staged all over the country. The problem we had in TX was the County Judge redirecting our tucks to “their” area. When a hurricane is coming we preposition up to 300 tucks to go in as soon as the Governer asks the President. At least in FL with Gov. Bush he had the forsight to contact his Bro. BEFORE landfall. We know what kind of damage one of those things can cause.
Portable cellars… We need to work on that.
I love this blog! I get to piss off EVERYONE at least once a month!
What they should be bringing in is cinder blocks, rebar, and lots of concrete. Build a new safe room on each foundation big enough to use as a refuge and THEN set the trailers next to them. Give everyone a NOAA weather radio and viola’ - run to the safe room if another storm comes.
